To turn this chili into a full buffet party, follow a few easy steps. Bake a pan or two of cornbread. Set up bowls of garnishes (avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges) on a countertop, preferably near the stove. Place bowls, spoons, and napkins next to the pot of chili. Have people load up.–Cara Eisenpress and Phoebe Lapine
LC You Complete Me Note
Nothing complements and completes a bowl of chili like, well, the aforementioned garnishes and side of cornbread, for starters. But let’s not overlook a few other sides, or actually bottoms, given that our tendency is to bury them beneath a ladleful of chili goodness. Tortilla chips. Steaming hot baked potatoes. Rice. Polenta. Fresh tortillas. To say nothing of a cold beer on the side. Are we missing anything?
Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- For the chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large sweet onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper (if unavailable, double on red), chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 yellow squash, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- Stems from 1 bunch of cilantro (leaves reserved for garnish)
- One 7-ounce can mild green chiles
- 2 or 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- Three 15-ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- Two 15-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- One 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 bottle dark Mexican beer (Negra Modelo if you can find it)
- For the Garnishes
- Leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 limes, cut into thin wedges
- 2 avocados, seeded, peeled, diced, and tossed with lime juice
Directions
- Make the chili
- 1. To make the Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili in your slow cooker, see the Slow Cooker Variation below.
To make the Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chilis on the stovetop, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until they’re beginning to caramelize, about 8 minutes. - 2. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- 3. In the meantime, combine the garlic cloves, cilantro stems, green chiles, and chipotle chiles in a small food processor and process until minced. Add 1⁄2 cup of the stock and pulse to combine or stir together in a bowl.
- 4. Add the chile mixture and the tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the beans, salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, beer, and the remaining 11⁄2 cups stock. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the chili thickens and the vegetables soften, about 30 minutes.
- Serve the chili
- 5. Remove the pot of chili from the heat and plonk it on another burner, the countertop, or the table. Place each garnish in a bowl and call your guests. (The chili is best if made the night before and rewarmed gently over low heat. It can keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.)
Slow Cooker Variation
- Yup. Believe it. Follow step 1. as directed, then transfer it to the slow cooker. Repeat with the zucchini and summer squash. Then add the tomatoes and their paste and half the beer and half the stock. Continue as directed.
[Editor's Note: Bear in mind, no two slow-cookers are exactly alike, just as no two cooks are exactly alike. This slow-cooker approach worked really, really well for us, although if you have a different slow-cooker cooking technique you want to try by all means, do so. And, natch, we'd love if you'd share it with us in a comment below.]
Hungry for more? Chow down on these:
- Chili with Chocolate from David Lebovitz
- Turkey Chili from Over the Hill and on a Roll
- Black and White Chicken Chili from Leite's Culinaria
- Uncle D's Chili from Leite's Culinaria
Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili Recipe © 2011 Cara Eisenpress | Phoebe Lapine. Photo © 2011 Josh Shaub. All rights reserved.
[Sofia R.] All I can say is…. let the football season — and the parties that come along with the games — start! I am looking forward to replicating this recipe for a bunch of people during the football season. This will be a hit! Spicy enough to enjoy a nice beer with it, yet not so crazy-spicy kids (at least mine) won’t be able to eat it, the aroma blends were absolutely divine and the whole house smelled as good as it tasted. Also a great way to make kids and adults who usually shun veggies fill their tummies with wonderful fall vegetables.
[Tricia S] Wow. You definitely do NOT miss the meat in this flavorful chili! I was a little unsure about it at first, but with the combination of three different beans and the squash, layered with the depth of the chipotles, spices, and beer, this is a hearty, delicious meal. Definitely a keeper, and makes adding vegetarian meals (Meatless Monday, anyone?) into the mix a breeze. I served this with corn cakes (nothing fancy, just off the side of the Jiffy box, but with some added cheese), along with the leftover Negro Modelo and it was a big hit for dinner.
[Linda Pacchiano] This is a great vegetable chili recipe. The ingredients all work well together and create wonderful texture and flavor in the dish. The chipotles add a dimension of smokiness not usually found in chili recipes. For garnishes, I cooked some rice, and put out bowls of Cheddar Jack cheese, diced scallions, tomatoes, olives and shredded lettuce, cilantro leaves, guacamole, and sour cream.
[Chiyo U.] A perfect summertime chili. The seasonal vegetables taste fresh, and the short cooking time is always welcome during warm months. The beans give the chili substance, making it a hearty meal even for people who normally gravitate towards meat dishes. I served my chili with diced avocados tossed with lime juice and honey cornbread — with the smoky heat of the chipotle chiles, our dinner had yin, yang, and some! The recipe calls for just one tablespoon of oil for the entire pot, so if your heart desires, go crazy with cheese and sour cream without any guilt.
[Tamiko L.] I love this chili. The taste is outstanding and ages very well. It’s very hearty, full of rich, smoky flavor, and is healthy to boot. I don’t miss the meat in it at all. I did have to make a few changes in making this: Fire roasted tomatoes are hard to come by in Canada, and I had two 14-ounce cans with green chilies in my pantry from my last trip south of our border. I used these and chose not to add an extra 14-ounce can of regular tomatoes. This worked out fine. Also, I couldn’t find a yellow squash, so I just increased the amount of zucchini; again, fine. I omitted the veggie broth, as I had added the beer first, and the chili was quite liquid already. It would have been chili soup if I had added the two cups of broth, and wouldn’t have been to my or my family’s liking. I simmered it with the lid askew, and there were plenty of juices for sopping up with either cornbread or rice. I will certainly make this again, but I will add some mushrooms next time, just as they add a nice, dense, earthy meatiness. It’s my own bias that a veggie dish of this sort needs mushrooms, but I loved this perfectly as is. I would add the peppers towards the last 10 – 15 minutes of cooking instead of sauteing them with the onions, as I would have liked a bit more firmness to them.
[Anne D.] This is a great take on vegetarian chili, with lots of fresh vegetables to bulk everything up and make you feel less guilty about the layer of cheese you’ll throw on top. The chipotles en adobo make it hot and smoky, and the beer adds a lot of flavor. It’s a super hearty meal with an endless number of ways to change it up for a week worth of lunches! My chipotles must have been exceptionally spicy, because the resulting chili was a touch hotter than I would have liked. I think next time I’ll start with one and go from there. My boyfriend and I have been eating this for days in a number of ways, all good: On tostadas with a crumble of queso fresco and chopped avocado; over eggs with some shredded cheddar; poured over baked sweet potatoes (a favorite); and finally, just as is — with plenty of oyster crackers and cheese. Yum. P.S. I’ve never plucked the leaves of cilantro off the stems in order to use only the stems before. That was interesting!
[Natalie R.] The vegetables took a good deal of time to chop. I was wondering if the resulting chili would be worth the effort. It really was worth it. The chili was chunky, hearty, and satisfying. The flavor had depth, heat, and a touch of sweetness. My husband did not realize he was eating a vegetarian dish until I mentioned it. I served it with cheese and fresh cornbread. It was a crowd pleaser, and it makes enough for a pretty big crowd; great game-day fare.
[Sofia Reino] I decided to make this recipe in the slow cooker. I started by doing exactly as step 1 and sauté the onions and peppers, then I added them to the slow cooker. Then I added the zucchini and squash. After that I added the tomatoes and the paste. I only used half the beer as well as half the stock. I first covered it for the first 1.5 hours on medium, then I uncovered for another 1.5 hours on high. Even though it came out softer than cooking it on the stove top, the flavors were still all there.
I love all the ingredients in this chili. You can never have too many chili recipes, and I don’t have many veggie ones, so this one will be made soon. Thanks for sharing it!
Vicki, it’s our pleasure.
I made a version of this chili, and it was smoky, spicy goodness. I loved the addition of the chipotle peppers in adobo.
Smoky, spicy goodness is what we want, need, crave, and expect in a chili. Lovely to hear, Athena.
We’re having our Annual Chili Cook-Off at the office on Halloween—just 2 days away now. I did a dry run over the weekend. WOW!!! This has to be the finest veg chili I’ve ever had, anywhere! So many great flavors dancing happily on your tongue. Love it! Only revision I made–I used all black beans (just my pref). I may win this thing come Halloween!
Deb, many thanks for sharing this with us! Wonderful to hear. Do let us know how it goes, as we’ll be waiting to hear…!
Just won the Golden Ladle at work with this chili recipe. Thanks!
Hot damn and hallelujah, Beth! Congrats! Not to be too nosy, but did you make any custom tweaks to the recipe or did you use the recipe as-is?
This was delicious! I only used 2 cans of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and it would have been too spicy if I didn’t love spicy food. I would add those chiles gradually and with caution. I was cooking for someone who doesn’t like zucchini, so I replaced them with mushrooms and fresh corn and that worked really well with this recipe.
Thanks for letting us know, Ayumi! Lovely to hear it.